Sources of Motivation & Inspiration

Sources of Motivation & Inspiration

Anyone who works from home, or works in any sort of creative environment will have the occasional day when they are just completely lacking in motivation. It happens to all of us from time to time, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Usually, the first sign that I’m beginning to drift away from my work is when I find myself clicking over onto Facebook, or watching random YouTube videos. I’ve tried to become more aware of this happening, and as soon as I notice myself doing it I take a step away from my desk, and go and make a cup of coffee. More often than not, this will do the trick, and I can come back to my work focused and energised.

Sometimes, however, I need much more than coffee to stay motivated. So here are my top 6 sources of motivation and inspiration

Morning coffee

Podcasts

Podcasts are a great source of inspiration, and you can listen to them while you go about your daily chores, or during the morning commute. Whatever your niche, you’ll be sure to find something interesting and relevant. My favourites are A Little Bird Told Me, which is all about freelance writing, and Problogger which is great for blogging tips and advice.

StumbleUpon

This is basically like a random website generator, except you choose the topics you’re interested in, so it only shows you relevant pages relating to those topics. As you go along, you can rate each page with either a thumbs up, or thumbs down, which further refines your preferences over time. I’ve discovered some great websites via StumbleUpon.

Stumbleupon

Pinterest

I’m a Pinterest maniac, and have boards for everything, from cute animals, to low carb recipes, to tattoos. But, Pinterest is much more than cute animal pictures.

I also use Pinterest for inspiration for my work, and have boards dedicated to blogging/SEO where I store articles containing useful hints and info. I also have a “blogspiration” board, to inspire me with new blog ideas, as well as boards for “articles I wish I’d written,” “inspirational stories” and a space to store my own work, which acts as a portfolio. View my Pinterest, to get an idea of what you can do.

My Pinterest boards

Ted Talks

If you have a spare 15 minutes, watch a Ted Talk. These are inspirational speeches given by keynote speakers, and you can find something for just about any subject. These are a great way to boost your motivation during your coffee break, or lunch.

https://www.ted.com/

Email Newsletters & Blogs

This may seem a little old-fashioned nowadays, but email newsletters are a great way to get daily inspiration right into your inbox. Whatever industry you are in, there will be an array of information out there, and all you have to do is subscribe.

Another useful tool is Bloglovin. Basically it allows you to subscribe to all of your favourite blogs using the one platform, and it sends a daily email update to your inbox with all the latest blog posts. This has the benefit that you only have the one email to check, rather than dozens. Just be careful you don’t spend too much time reading other people’s blogs, instead of doing your own work!

Get Outside!

When all else fails, and I’m feeling uninspired, the best way to clear your mind and come back refreshed is to get outside and go for a walk. I’m lucky because I live close to plenty of woodland pathways and trails, but even if you’re in the city, popping outside for half an hour during your lunch will make all the difference.

Getting out and exploring the city – Edinburgh, Scotland

Which of these methods works best for you? Or do you have your own go-to tip when it comes to getting motivated? Let me know in the comments below.

You really can’t beat a good podcast! I work on my own from home, so listening to podcasts helps me feel connected with the outside world, and they are a great source of hints and tips for my work. I usually listen to them in the bath, or when I’m cooking 🙂

Great tips! I love podcasts too – and I definitely think taking breaks is a must as well. I also give myself set times that I’m allowed to go on social media (even for work purposes) so I don’t accidentally get stuck on there all day!